Revolving clothes-drier



T. \PRITOHARD. Revolving Clothes Drier.

No. 237,407. Patented Feb. 8,1881.

MPEPEJRS. PHOTOUTHOGHAFHER. WASHINGTON. D O.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEa TIMOTHY PRITCHARD, OF BRIDGEPOBT,CONNECTICUT.

REVOLVING CLOTHES-DRIER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 237,407, dated February8, 1881.

Application filed July 15, 1879.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, TIMOTHY PRITCHARD, of the city of Bridgeport, countyof Fairfield, and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Revolving Clothes-Driers, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to an improvement in revolving clothes-driers; andit consists of a lower column or base supporting an upper column,operating freely thereon, and guided by the upper column is theball-bearing having upper and lower sections provided with circulargrooves for the reception of the balls, the upper section of the bearinghaving arm-supports, to which are fitted the arms, so constructed as tobe raised and folded around the upper column when not in use. Thearm-supports are also provided with stops or braces, which, inconnection with the pins upon which the arms swing, operate to hold themin the I proper position when in use. The ball-bearin g carrying thearms is raised and lowered on the upper column by means of rack andpinion, the upper end of the rack being attached to a rod on the lowersection-of the bearing, which rod works in vertical slots in the column.

To more clearly understand my invention, reference is had to theaccompanying drawings, forming a part of the specification, in which-Figure 1 represents a view of the drier complete. Fig. 2 is a view ofthe upper portion of the upper column, showing the arms folded. Fig. 3is a view of the ball-bearing, showing the upper and lower sections.Fig. 4 represents a plan view of the lower section of the ball-bearing,to which is attached the rack for raising and lowering the bearingcarrying the arms.

A, Fig. 1, is the lower column or base, supporting the upper column, B.C is the ballbearing, having upper and lower sections, a b, as shownmore clearly at Fig. 3, the upper section, a, raised. The balls 0 restin a circular groove, d, of the lower section, b. A correspondinggroove, 01, is provided in the upper section, a. To the upper section,a, and formin g part of the same, the arm-supports m are secured; andattached to the supportmby the pins 12, and working freely thereon, arethe arms I. The bridge or stop q of the supports an engaging with theend 12 of the arms operates to hold them in a horizontal position whenin use. The bearing C, carrying arms I, is raised and lowered on thecolumn B by means of the gears e f and pinion g engaging with the rackt. The upper end of rack t is attached to the rod j of the lowersection, b, of the bearing C. The rod j also passes through the slots kof the column B, which operates to prevent the lower section ofball-bearing from revolving. The upper section, a, carrying arms l andresting on the balls 0, is allowed to revolve freely with little or nofriction.

The view Fig. 2, as stated, represents the arms folded around the uppercolumn, B, and to the ringbolt t, (which is placed at the properdistance on the arms 1 from the pins n to get the required purchase,) isattached the cord 1', which passes through the ring-bolt s of thearm-support m, by means of which the arms are brought to a perpendicularposition.

Then the articles are placed on the line they can be raised to a heightsufficient to avoid contact with objects beneath, also presenting abetter surface for the wind to act upon. The perfect freedom with whichthe arms revolve by means of the ball-bearing not only makes themsusceptible to the slightest force of the wind, but enables them to giveway readily before a heavy breeze, thus preventing whipping and tearingof the clothes.

I do not wish to be understood as claiming, broadly, the ball-bearing,nor the rack-gears or pinion for raising and lowering the arms.

What I do claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The herein-described clothes-drier, consisting of the column A, gears cf, pinion g, column B, having slots is k, ball-bearing O, rack 6, rod j,arm-supports m, stops q, pins a, ringbolts 8 t, and cord 1", asdescribed.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I 5 TIMOTHY PRITCHARD.

Witnesses:

EDWARD P. WALTER, HERMAN GAUSS.

